Where To, Dear?

Although John regularly dreams of traveling full time, the reality is that we must carefully plan our travel around work and family responsibilities.  And, our travels must be budget friendly.   

We’re working on preparations for our next trip now.  While neither of us likes for our adventures to be too scripted, we do like to have a basic plan in place before we go.  We also like to do research to learn which attractions we’d like to visit once we reach our destination.  It’s always important to keep in mind that some activities do need advance reservations.

The first step in our planning process is deciding where we want to go.  Although, John and I have an appreciation for what the other likes to do, we sometimes have different ideas of “fun.”  Needless to say, our pre-teen daughter also has very specific ideas of what is fun and what is not.  So, within some predetermined boundaries, we take turns choosing our destinations. 

For this next adventure, it’s my turn to decide.  A few weeks ago, John asked me, “So where are we going next on vacation?”  I responded by saying, “I don’t know yet.”

About a week later, John asked, “So have you decided where we are going on vacation?”  I let him know that I was still thinking about it.  And, I really had been.  I thought about where we’ve been and where we haven’t.  I considered what our daughter has already seen and what I’d like for her to see.  I thought about where I’ve always wanted to go and what activities each person enjoys.  I surfed around on the Web for ideas.  I determined how much money we want to spend. 

Usually, if all my thinking fails, I’ll close my eyes and point to a spot in the Atlas!  Voila!  And, yes, I have actually done that before…twice.  Surprisingly, it’s always worked out pretty well!

About two or three weeks into our discussion of where to go on vacation, my husband again asked if I had made a decision.  My response this time was, “Utah.”

“Where in Utah?” John responded.

“Somewhere pretty,” I said.

And with that, a conversation began about what we’d like to see and do in Utah.  We talked about when we’d like to go, our method of travel (via car) and how many days we’ll need.  From there, John is figuring out the rest.  That’s what he likes to do and I’m good with that.  He always does a great job!   

John also likes to plan some stops along the way so we can tour area attractions.  I’ve never been much of a power driver and more than eight hours in the car at a pop is just not fun for me.  While this may be necessary at times due to time constraints, I seem to lose my good humor and start gnawing on the dash around the seven-hour mark.  I simply want out of the car for the day or at least for a few hours. 

Because of my desire to get out of the car along the way, we’ve seen some pretty cool stuff throughout the years that we might not have seen otherwise.  So, do take time to look around rather than power from one place to the next.  You’ll be glad you did.

So, here’s where we stand for now…  We’ve determined in 2013, we’re heading west from Missouri to Utah.  We’ve been there before, but want to see and do things we haven’t already.  I'm sure that won't be hard.  The trip promises to be fun so stay tuned!  We're open to your suggestions, so tell us if you know of any “must see” attractions or good places to visit.  John will appreciate your ideas as he maps our journey.  We look forward to hearing from you.  Thanks.